I picked up my hold from the library the other night, and the writing is wonderful.

My hold just came in at the library - I wonder if it's the one you had? haha

I've only made the marinated beets so far and they are the freakin' bomb. My roommate bought a bunch to juice and then realized she didn't actually like beets when she juiced them, but she loved these! I really like the food justice edge to the book and am excited to try some more recipes! There's a dandelion green recipe and now everywhere I walk I notice them.

Saag Tofu is delicious, especially the baked tofu, mmm. I like to think I upped the flavor a bit by pressing the tofu in the TofuXPress and then marinating in the spice and oil mix plus some vegetable broth for an hour before following the rest of the recipe.

_________________"I feel like it's not a real political discussion if I'm not morally opposed to something I don't understand." - ndpittman

Just got this based on all the praise I've seen here and elsewhere. I wasn't really familiar with Bryant Terry before purchasing this book. What a unique voice for the veg movement he is! This book is about way more than just the recipes. I was thrilled to see a Shirley Chisholm menu- never thought I'd find that in a cookbook! The playlists are a great idea, too. I'll be reading it cover to cover, as well. That will give me the time to decide what to make first!

_________________

Desdemona wrote:

" I mean, WHAT IF MY CAR BREAKS DOWN AT NIGHT AND I DON'T HAVE A REFLECTIVE ENOUGH VAGINA?"

Is this better than Vegan Soul Kitchen? I ended up trading that one because the recipes just felt like a lot of work for the outcome, and then the easier recipes that looked good would call for HUGE amounts of oil for things that weren't even deep fried (1/4-1/2 cup, I seem to remember). I'm from Tennessee, so I don't think it was a lack of understanding/appreciation for Southern cooking. I just wasn't feeling it.

creep - try the 'look inside' on Amazon. I've used both and prefer this one, if I *had* to decide. The recipes are possibly even more multi-step (which I like in a cookbook) than VSK, off the top of my head.

His recipes are fussier than under 30 minutes-type books, but the result is absolutely worth it. He is generous with oil, so if you don't like using fat, you might feel a little put-off. I think generally the oil is easy to reduce, and that the recipes are written more "restaurant-style" than for an oil-conscious home cook.

I agree with jdfunks that I'd choose TIV over VSK, but I would cry sad tears for the loss of VSK.

I made the smoky tomato, plantain, & tempeh stew tonight alongside the coconut quinoa and it was really good! It wasn't too fussy either - the stew simmers for a while as the plantains roast 30 min in the oven. My plantains weren't ripe so I tossed them in some brown sugar before roasting and that added a nice sweetness to the stew.

I also made the guac- & chard-stuffed tortillas, which was kinda like a fancy quesadilla. It was really good and super easy, too.

So far all the recipes seem really creative and combine interesting flavors. It's a nice change from some of my recent cookbook purchases that rehash the same old things. I like that the dishes are grouped together by season/theme but it does make it a bit of a hassle if I'm browsing for a particular type of dish.

Is this better than Vegan Soul Kitchen? I ended up trading that one because the recipes just felt like a lot of work for the outcome, and then the easier recipes that looked good would call for HUGE amounts of oil for things that weren't even deep fried (1/4-1/2 cup, I seem to remember). I'm from Tennessee, so I don't think it was a lack of understanding/appreciation for Southern cooking. I just wasn't feeling it.

I enjoy VSK to read but have never really been much inspired to make recipes. I have no idea why. I'm definitely not oil shy so it's not that. I think it's just a combination of ingredient availability and husband dislikes. TIV is an even better read and inspires me much more and I know I will make way more from it.

Last week I made the jerk tempeh with cilantro sauce, double garlic rice and purple slaw. All were really good! Boyfriend loves jerk anything and was skeptical about having another sauce with the tempeh, but that ended up being his favourite part of the dish. The recipe makes a ton of jerk sauce/marinade though. There was way more than I needed, I ended up having to pour half of it out of the pan halfway through baking. It's in my fridge and there's definitely enough to make another batch of tempeh (oh, such plight).

Last week I made the jerk tempeh with cilantro sauce, double garlic rice and purple slaw. All were really good! Boyfriend loves jerk anything and was skeptical about having another sauce with the tempeh, but that ended up being his favourite part of the dish. The recipe makes a ton of jerk sauce/marinade though. There was way more than I needed, I ended up having to pour half of it out of the pan halfway through baking. It's in my fridge and there's definitely enough to make another batch of tempeh (oh, such plight).

I made the jerk tempeh and garlic rice, too. My tempeh was really bitter so it kind of ruined it for me. I might try it again with another brand of tempeh, or maybe with baked tofu.

_________________"I feel like it's not a real political discussion if I'm not morally opposed to something I don't understand." - ndpittman

Is this better than Vegan Soul Kitchen? I ended up trading that one because the recipes just felt like a lot of work for the outcome, and then the easier recipes that looked good would call for HUGE amounts of oil for things that weren't even deep fried (1/4-1/2 cup, I seem to remember). I'm from Tennessee, so I don't think it was a lack of understanding/appreciation for Southern cooking. I just wasn't feeling it.

I enjoy VSK to read but have never really been much inspired to make recipes. I have no idea why. I'm definitely not oil shy so it's not that. I think it's just a combination of ingredient availability and husband dislikes. TIV is an even better read and inspires me much more and I know I will make way more from it.

I agree. VSK seems unnecessarily fussy in a few ways, but TIV looks more approachable to me. I really enjoy the way he approaches food.

I picked up a copy of TIV at the library yesterday, and made the velvety grits with heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, and pesto for part of my mother's day brunch menu. They were by far the best grits I have ever had and my dad remarked that it was the only time he had ever enjoyed grits. I could have eaten the grits by themselves, but the squash, pesto, and tomatoes made it absolutely incredible. The cookbook is beautiful, I love the focus on seasonality and storytelling.

I based last night's dinner on the fava beans, fennel & grits meal, and it was so swell.Instead of fennel (I couldn't see myself eating an entire bulb), I roasted sliced asparagus and garlic flowers. I'm inexplicably out of thyme, so I subbed a handful of fresh parsley and Thai basil in with the simmered favas, and added garlic and nooch to the grits. Served with hot sauce and more nooch. Oh, yes. http://instagr.am/p/LtxT07tKOd/